WHAT DOES A COMMERCIAL MANAGER DO?
Published: August 8, 2024 - The Commercial Manager develops and implements commercial strategies to accelerate growth, delivering value for money through optimal procurement strategies, and managing all procurement activities to achieve value for money and high stakeholder satisfaction. This role involves building and growing relationships with key regional partners, driving partner commercial decisions, and expanding relationships with existing customers by continuously proposing solutions that meet their objectives. The manager also collaborates with diverse teams to drive new product strategies, develops marketing initiatives, and executes go-to-market plans for high-value product segments.
A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Commercial Manager
1. Commercial Manager Duties
- Strategy Implementation Support: Drive and support the Country Managers with the implementation of the business commercial strategy, which is primarily based on a Premium Product Approach.
- Market Analysis: Analyze market segments for potential opportunities to successfully position Premium Products to drive differentiation and profitability.
- Opportunity Assessment: Assess market dynamics, identify new opportunities, and manage the pricing strategies.
- Sales Accountability: Share the accountability of achieving sales and profitability targets in line with the defined Business Plan.
- Team Development: Facilitate the training and development of the local commercial teams and co-own the succession planning in the units.
- Internal Collaboration: Liaise with relevant internal departments across Yara globally, to secure alignment and that BU Africa’s strategy and commercial initiatives are properly understood and supported.
- Key Account Management: Drive a Key Account Management implementation with the Food Chain and Sustainability Department.
- Supply Chain Management: Manage the planning of product delivery into the market to ensure the sales forecast supports the optimization of working capital, vessel optimization, and inventory days.
- Pricing Oversight: Manage and monitor pricing trends together with the Planning Manager.
- Market Intelligence: Compile and collate Market Intelligence Reports for strategic guidance on important decisions.
- Best Practices Implementation: Provide best practice guidance on and drive continual improvement of international commercial management processes, tools, and templates.
2. Commercial Manager Details
- Financial Data Analysis: Analyze and interpret collected financial data (corporate and personal financial statements, corporate and personal tax returns, credit bureau reports, accounts receivable, inventory listings, appraisals, collateral evaluations, etc.) to establish, maintain, or deny credit.
- Industry Research: Conduct in-depth research on specific industrial benchmarks that identify the risks and issues associated with the particular type of credit that has been collected.
- Risk Evaluation: Evaluate these risks to determine the potential impact on a borrower’s performance and/or the capacity of repayment.
- Banking Relationship Analysis: Research and analyze current banking relationships (loan exposure, statuses of various bank accounts, etc.)
- Financial Documentation: Gather financial information and prepare a detailed portfolio on the Bank’s designated software and/or templates.
- Credit Analysis: Ensure the analysis of the financial data of a client is imperative to determine the credit’s strengths and weaknesses, potential harm to the Bank, and the likelihood of the repayment of debts.
- Client Communication: Communicate with applicants and existing clientele to discuss loan applications and answer questions about the process.
- Loan Education: Explain to customers and applicants the different types of loans and credit options that are available, as well as the terms of those services.
- Credit Documentation: Obtain and compile copies of loan applicants' and existing customers’ credit histories, corporate financial statements, and other necessary financial information to begin the credit decision process.
- Loan File Management: Review and update credit and loan files according to the loan policy.
- Loan Maturity Monitoring: Monitor Commercial Loan Maturity Reports to evaluate the necessary steps, as well as financial and collateral information to be obtained from the client to underwrite renewals.
- Documentation Oversight: Monitor exception reports for follow-up by loan officers for correct loan documentation for errors.
- Team Contribution: Contribute to a high-performing team and bring ideas to shape how the Commercial team plays its part in driving business success
3. Commercial Manager Responsibilities
- Business Partnership: Partner with business leaders to deliver services that support company objectives and that are consistent with Winning Together values.
- Subject Matter Expertise: Provides subject matter expertise on international commercial management topics.
- Advisory Role: Advise, guide, and educate sales, transition, and operational delivery teams on matters such as international billing models, tax efficiency, international commercial change, and international P and L management reporting.
- Billing Model Design: Design and implement billing models for new international services and act as the point of engagement for all stakeholders.
- Customer Negotiation: Negotiate with the customer to achieve the optimum billing model that meets both CC and customer requirements.
- Partner Negotiation: Negotiate with global partners to create billing models that meet both CC requirements.
- Governance Knowledge: Provide expert knowledge on the governance requirements for all international account types to all relevant stakeholders.
- Pre-sales Support: Support the pre-sales process for risk assessment of tax and billing models, and create quotations for international commercial activities.
- Single Point of Contact: Act as a single point of contact for customers and partners for negotiation of the billing model and commercial processes during the pre-sales and transition processes.
- Billing Model Approval: Provide approval of all international billing models through the SAT process.
- Commercial Transition Management: Provide ownership and governance of the International commercial transition process and management of commercial processes in early life.
- Stakeholder Influence: Proactively influence and educate group colleagues and stakeholders to drive the end-to-end international commercial process for the group.
- Vision Communication: Position and communicate the vision and business value of the International Commercial Management Team.
4. Commercial Manager Job Summary
- Proposal Development: Develop competitive proposals and strategies, including risk mitigation and compliance, to support Sales and Commercial Teams in the Regions.
- Communication Hub: Be a focal point within ITO OPEX CoE for all communications related to OPEX commercial matters to/from GE.
- Solution Mastery: Reach beyond the simple selling of products and services, master the ability to provide wing-to-wing solutions, and add value to both BH and its Customers.
- Market Analysis: Understand local market dynamics and identify and manage the commercial risks across the project scope.
- Complex Deal Assistance: Assist Regions during the development of complex deals.
- Proposal Coordination: Handle requests for proposal reviews, bid planning, risk reviews, solution estimates and pricing, deal analytics/reviews, 3rd party coordination and negotiations, technical clarifications, documentation, and analysis of terms and conditions.
- Liaison Role: Act as a liaison between Sales Managers, Regional ComOps and Technical Experts to identify value pricing and best technical solutions.
- Contract Management: Accountable for the development and continuous evolution of contract templates and framework agreements.
- Analytics Utilization: Use analytics tools such as Salesforce.com (DM), Tableau, and SharePoint to monitor proposal flow and develop pipeline forecasts.
- Leadership Communication: Lead communications at all organizational levels including leading deal reviews with senior and executive leadership.
- Process Improvement: Provide continuous improvement of solutions lifecycle processes and methodologies.
- Data Analysis: Provide data and analytics for commercial decision-making in existing and potential new markets.
- Strategy Guidance: Guide the Commercial Excellence Manager on the Rollout Strategy for Africa.
- Business Development Leadership: Serve as the Business Development Manager for High-Value Products.
5. Commercial Manager Accountabilities
- Market Analysis Collaboration: Working in collaboration with local markets and the Market Brand team to establish an implementation plan based on sound market analysis.
- Operating Plan Management: Responsible for Annual Operating Plan creation and delivery in International Markets.
- Opportunity Identification: Identifying opportunities, and activating appropriate funding to achieve meaningful ROI.
- Route Management: Managing the Route to Market for Corby’s Canadian International Spirits portfolio primarily in Europe and the USA.
- Solution Provision: Identifying local needs and providing new or existing solutions based on best practices and tools available and inspiring markets to adopt them.
- Brand Communication: Communicating the benefits of Canadian Whisky and Ungava Gin in a way that inspires passionate work, energy, and the right approach.
- Product Market Management: Managing the Commercial delivery of Alfred Lamb’s Rum in the market and establishing new markets for the product where applicable.
- Opportunity Analysis: Identifying emerging opportunities through KPI tracking and suggesting effective action.
- Financial Lever Activation: Understanding how key P and L levers impact business performance and activating key levers to deliver business performance (e.g., net sales, cost optimization, A and P effectiveness).
- Market Performance Analysis: Fully understanding the key metrics and market dynamics required to evaluate market performance.
- Supply Chain Assistance: Assisting the supply chain management team with forecasting and development of NDP for various international markets.
- Brand Ambassador Guidance: Assisting in guiding the activities of the Brand Ambassadors (Global and Local) in pursuit of maximum efficiency to reach the greatest number of influencers, customers, and consumers.
- Strategy Implementation: Implementing, executing, and measuring a seeding brand/market strategy.
- Project Leadership: Leading and/or participating in special projects.
6. Commercial Manager Functions
- Business Optimization: Working on Business Optimization activities to drive the growth of terminal services.
- Project Leadership: Planning, leading, and executing various initiatives related to managing existing contracts with the customers of the terminal and developing, structuring, and taking to fruition new business opportunities.
- Investment Management: Leading new investment projects, as required, to enable such business opportunities.
- Deal Management: Leading business optimization activities including deal framing and deal delivery.
- Market Intelligence: Maintaining market intelligence and assessing new market opportunities.
- Service Marketing: Marketing and driving the growth of terminal services such as cooldown, storage and reload and trans-shipment activities.
- Account Management: Key account management of existing contracts to maintain customer relationships.
- Operations Coordination: Scheduling of customers' ships, invoicing, and handling of commercial areas related to marine operations (e.g., demurrage claims).
- Agreement Structuring: Structuring and finalizing terminal use agreements and other commercial agreements to secure the business opportunity.
- Stakeholder Negotiation: Leading engagements and negotiations with external stakeholders including regulators, deal counterparties, and other market participants.
- Commercial Management: Managing other activities that have commercial / value implications for the company from time to time.
- Process Improvement: Working to implement, improve, and drive consistent processes, tools, and methodologies.
- Market and Product Knowledge: Developing and applying product/service knowledge, customer knowledge, and market intelligence.
- Coaching: Coaching contract management issues, tools, and techniques.
7. Commercial Manager Job Description
- Strategic Costing: Accurate costing of strategic Cloud Sales opportunities.
- Margin Analysis: Ensuring all quotes and orders are accompanied by accurate margin analysis.
- Consumption Modeling: Building consumption models to forecast customer spending on Hyperscaler or Claranet services.
- Negotiation Participation: Working as a key part of the negotiation team on strategic Cloud Sales opportunities.
- Pricing Advice: Providing advice on price and the commercial structure of deals and thinking creatively to find solutions within the deal model that make a deal happen on favorable terms to Claranet.
- Rate Card Creation: Creating tailored rate cards and new order forms for customers allowing them to easily expand the services they take from Claranet.
- Bid Contribution: Working on bids and tenders and contributing to the submissions to the customer.
- Contract Awareness: Raising awareness within Claranet of non-standard billing or commercial clauses within strategic contracts to the relevant internal teams.
- Review Contributions: Contributing to win reviews and contract summary documents.
- Incentive Tracking: Keeping up-to-date with new hyperscaler incentives that customers and Claranet could benefit from and raising awareness internally of these.
- Cost Analysis: Populating the Cost Analysis in the Competitive Edge business case produced for customers as part of the consultancy engagements.
- Business Understanding: Developing a full understanding of the business, particularly concerning product and infrastructure costs.
- Data Management: Ensuring the distributors/clients' data and information are maintained/updated in the system according to the actual status.
- Market Research: Gathering market information and conducting market surveys to determine the market positions and directions including summarizing market share on an annual basis.
8. Commercial Manager Overview
- Sales Quota Achievement: Achieving the agreed sales quota per supplier per area.
- Commercial Plan Implementation: Ensuring proper implementation of the commercial plans by adopting the best Salesforce measures according to industry trends.
- Monthly Reporting: Preparing a monthly report, including sales funnel, customer relationship management (CRM), and market information system (MIS) including all marketing activities and market trends.
- Customer Relationship Building: Building strong relationships with the customers to maintain good revenue growth.
- Pricing Strategy Development: Develop a pricing strategy to ensure the right market position and maintain proper market share.
- Inventory Management: Managing inventory through an appropriate plan and policy.
- Strategic Planning: Defining strategic plans and business approaches and outlining key action tasks for sales, marketing, and operations to maximize business opportunities for TH Foods in Laos and Cambodia.
- Budget Management: Developing, managing, and implementing the AOP budget to align with a plan.
- Distributor Relationship Management: Establishing and setting up distributors and maintaining business relationships with distributors within the respective countries to achieve sales targets and continue to develop long-term partnerships.
- Consultant Coordination: Appointing all consultants/suppliers to undertake the early stages of design and surveys.
- Financial Oversight: Reviewing and recommending all payments to 3rd parties (i.e., designers and other consultants).
- Procurement Strategy: Implementing and evolving a portfolio-wide procurement strategy.
- Governance Support: Assisting in the management of the Governance required, including compliance, reporting, and insurance.
- Contractual Alignment: Working alongside the Development Managers to ensure all contractual documents reflect the commercial agreements reached by all parties.
9. Commercial Manager Tasks
- Budget Development: Develop project budgets for all new sites and conduct viability tests before Wates commits to proceeding with the site.
- Commercial Management: Providing detailed commercial management during the design process through typical RIBA stages 1 to 3 and up to planning submission/PCSA commencement.
- Compliance Management: Provide an overview of compliance commercial management from stage 4 until project completion.
- Consultant Management: Appointing all consultants/suppliers to undertake the early stages of design and surveys.
- Payment Review: Reviewing and recommending all payments to third parties (i.e., designers and other consultants).
- Procurement Strategy: Implementing and evolving a portfolio-wide procurement strategy.
- Governance Assistance: Assisting in the management of the Governance required, including compliance, reporting, and insurance.
- Contractual Management: Working alongside the Development Managers to ensure all contractual documents reflect the commercial agreements reached by all parties.
- Tender Management: Managing end-to-end tender processes from the requirement, building specifications, evaluation, and contract award through to contract management.
- Category Management: Embedding and developing continuous Category Management improvements.
- Contract Negotiation: Undertaking the development, review, and negotiation of large, complex contracts, ensuring the delivery of the commercial pipeline.
- Stakeholder Management: Managing relationships with stakeholders and confidently leading dialogue with these stakeholders throughout the procurement process.
- Supplier Engagement: Proactively engaging with the supplier base for innovation and influencing best practices on procurement processes.
10. Commercial Manager Roles
- Market Intelligence: Developing market intelligence through supplier and peer engagement
- Procurement Strategy: Delivering value for money through determining the optimum procurement strategies for major projects considering contract packaging, routes to market, form of contract, payment options, etc.
- Procurement Management: Planning, delivering, and managing all procurement activities to deliver contracts and frameworks including supporting the specification(s) development, leading all procurement activities
- Stakeholder Engagement: Continuously and effectively engaging with wider project teams to gain buy-in to the commercial strategy and ensure understanding of project objectives
- Procurement Service Management: Managing the provision of professional compliant procurement service to achieve value for money and high stakeholder satisfaction
- Relationship Building: Building and growing relationships with key regional partners
- Commercial Execution: Driving partner commercial decisions and executing at a regional level
- Commercial Strategy: Developing and implementing commercial strategies to accelerate growth
- Team Coordination: Collaborating with and coordinating diverse teams (marketing, sales, customer service, etc.)
- Customer Relationship Expansion: Expanding the relationships with existing customers by continuously proposing solutions that meet their objectives
- Partner Strategy: Playing a key role in understanding partner requirements to drive new product strategy
- Communication Link: Serving as the link of communication between key partners and internal teams
- Market Expansion: Driving restaurant selection growth across countries
- Marketing Development: Developing marketing initiatives and go-to-market plans for High-Value Product segments.